Rebuilding the Venezuelan Mafia

Here's my short list of Venezuelan infield recruits:

Luis Valbuena, 25, 2B/SS Cleveland. Bats Left handed.  With Kipnis taking over at 2B, Valbuena may be trade bait.  His hitting has been horrendous at MLB level, but he has done nothing wrong at the AAA level to keep him there.  There is some potential with his bat, just like there was with Scott Sizemore.   Valbuena plays good defense though, so he has some value even if he's not hitting. He made the IFL post-season All-Star team as a utility guy,  he played SS, 2b, 3b, and LF in the minors this past season.  

I want this guy and I don't think it will take much to get him.  At worst he'd be a starting infielder for the Toledo Mudhens. He could though be a young Adam Kennedy type 2B for the Tigers.

Martin Prado, 27, 3B/2B/LF  Braves. Bats right.  He's a fan favorite and former All-Star, so he'd be a tough guy to land.  SB Nation's "Talking Chop" has a Don't Trade Prado Petition, which tells me that's he's been the center of trade rumors in Atlanta for awhile now.  Reason being is that he's coming off a poor season, where he was transplanted to LF.  He belongs in the infield, but the Braves have Chipper Jones at 3b and Dan Uggla at 2B.  If the Braves look to add a big bat in LF, then they may look to trade Prado, or turn him back into a utility guy.   We'd likely have to give up some top talent to land him and deservedly so, he's the best Venezuelan on my list.

Alberto Callaspo, 28, 3B/2B  Angels. Switch hitter.  He would be a nice bat to have, but he's been called "cement-footed and iron-gloved" by some critics, but his UZR's at Fangraphs seem to tell a different story.   I don't know what to believe about his defense.    MBLTR listed him as one the Tigers possible trade targets.

Maicer Izturis, 30, 2B/3B/SS Angels.  Switch hitter.    He's is a slick fielding utility guy.  If we want to do Rick Porcello a huge favor, we should get him.   Izturis is also the guy that broke up Verlander's No-No vs Angels in that infamous Weaver showdown.  So if we want Verlander to throw more no-hitters, we should get him.

Marco Scutaro, 35, SS/2B/3B.  Red Sox or FA.  Bats right.   Not really an option, since Boston picked up his option.  Not a bad rental player, if we traded for him, but he's not a long-term solution.

Omar Infante, 29, 2B.  Marlins.  Just signed a 2 year deal for $8 Million.  He's not going anywhere.

Jose Lopez, 27, 2B/3B Free Agent Marlins.  Bats Right.  He's going into the Free Agent market coming off his worst season ever. He hit .208 with a .233 OBP in 129 plate appearances before losing his job and getting released by Colorado, where the Rockies ate his $3.6 Million salary.  He finished the season on the Marlins bench used mostly as a pinch hitter and back-up 1B.    What ever happened to him?  Who knows. 

Prior to this year, he had a nice pair of seasons in 2008-09 in Seattle where he averaged 42 Doubles, 21 HR's and 92 RBI's, with .285 AVG and .453 SLG.  He wasn't an OBP guy, but he didn't strikeout much either.  Defensively, he was about average at both 2B and 3B.